Flooding impacts still expected in parts of England as Storm Bert subsides

Press release

Flooding impacts still expected in parts of England as Storm Bert subsides

The Environment Agency is warning people to remain vigilant for flooding impacts as Storm Bert subsides, with ongoing river flooding expected in parts of England.

The Environment Agency is warning people to remain vigilant for flooding impacts as Storm Bert subsides, with ongoing river flooding expected in parts of England.

Storm Bert has caused significant river and surface water flooding in parts of England in recent days, especially in the South West, the West Midlands, Northamptonshire, and the Calder and Weaver Valleys in the North of England.

Secretary of State Steve Reed held a meeting with Environment Agency Chief Executive Philip Duffy on Monday morning to discuss the response to the flooding and ongoing plans to protect communities.

During the meeting, the Secretary of State was briefed on the latest situation on the ground, and the 24/7 response being led by the Environment Agency and the emergency services. He also sought reassurance on the actions being taken to further protect communities in the coming days with river levels expected to rise in some places. Together they also discussed how to bolster the response from the Environment Agency, emergency services and local authorities if required.

As of 13.15 on Tuesday 26 November, there is 1 severe flood warning on the River Nene at Billing Aquadrome and nearby business parks, 107 flood warnings and 120 flood alerts in place. The Environment Agency estimates 32,000 properties have been protected, with heavy rain leading to around 218 properties being flooded so far.

Whilst Storm Bert subsides, people should remain vigilant as the forecast shows the overall flood risk for England continues to be medium for today, with ongoing river flooding expected.

The Government is working at pace to step up further preparations for this winter, and is investing £2.4 billion until March 2026 to improve flood resilience and better protect communities across the country.

Lessons learned from these floods are being fed directly into the new Floods Resilience Taskforce to speed up the development of flood defences and bolster the nation's resilience to extreme weather.

The Taskforce brings together the Secretary of State and Floods Minister Emma Hardy with representatives from Defra, MHCLG, Home Office, Cabinet Office, the Environment Agency, the Met Office, Local Resilience Forums, Mayoral Offices, emergency responders and the National Farmers Union, among others.

Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Steve Reed said:

On Monday morning I held a meeting with the Environment Agency and am receiving regular updates on the response to flooding in parts of the country.

My sympathies are with all of those who have been impacted by Storm Bert.

I want to express my heartfelt thanks for the outstanding work that the Environment Agency and emergency responders are doing to keep people safe.

I urge people to check their flood risk, sign up for flood warnings and follow the latest guidance from emergency responders.

Chris Wilding, Flood Duty Manager at the Environment Agency, said:

Significant river flooding impacts are probable in parts of Northamptonshire today following heavy rainfall from Storm Bert. Minor river flooding is also expected on the River Severn and possible more widely. Additional minor river and surface water flooding impacts are also probable in parts of the South and East of England and possible elsewhere, from late on Tuesday and through Wednesday due to further heavy rain.

Environment Agency teams are out on the ground, taking action to reduce the impact of flooding and will support local authorities in their response.

We urge people to stay away from swollen rivers and urge people not to drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car.

People should check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation at by searching 'check my flood risk', and follow @EnvAgency on X for the latest flood updates.

Across the country, Environment Agency officers are working round the clock checking flood defences, clearing debris and erecting temporary barriers. Minor impacts are possible more widely across England, which may continue in places until Friday.

We continue to monitor forecasts and impacts on water levels across the country. We urge the public to check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and to consider the weather before travelling.

People can check their flood risk for the latest flood updates.

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Published 24 November 2024
Last updated 26 November 2024 + show all updates